Barcelona’s preparations for the 2026/27 season will begin with a strong La Masia presence as Hansi Flick prepares to welcome a host of academy talents into the first-team environment.
According to Mundo Deportivo, at least 10 youth players are expected to train with the senior squad when Barcelona pre-season officially gets underway, giving several youngsters the chance to impress while many established stars remain away on World Cup duty.
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The latest Barcelona news highlights that Flick is set to use the opening weeks of pre-season to closely assess some of La Masia’s brightest prospects.
Flick turns to La Masia for pre-season preparations
Notably, Barcelona’s first-team players are scheduled to report back on July 13, when they will undergo routine medical examinations before the first training session takes place the following day at the Ciutat Esportiva.
Hansi Flick will call several La Masia players during pre-season preparations. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
With a large number of senior players still representing their countries at the FIFA World Cup, Flick will initially have a reduced first-team group at his disposal.
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According to the report, only Wojciech Szczesny, Gerard Martin, Andreas Christensen, Alejandro Balde, Hector Fort, Marc Bernal, Marc Casado and Roony Bardghji will be fully available from the senior squad at the start of pre-season.
The reduced numbers have created an ideal opportunity for several academy players to work directly under Flick and his coaching staff during one of the most important periods of the summer.
Golden chance for a golden generation
According to the aforementioned outlet, goalkeeper Aron Yaakobishvili is among those expected to join the first-team sessions, even as he explores his next move.
At least 10 youth team players will train under Hansi Flick (Photo by MANAURE QUINTERO/AFP via Getty Images)
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On top of that, several of Barcelona’s most promising youngsters are also in line for first-team involvement.
This includes Iker Rodriguez, Baba Kouruma, Ebrima Tunkara, Orien Goren, Alex Gonzalez, Shane Kluivert, Xavi Espart, Tommy Marques, Toni Fernández, Jofre Torrents, Landry Farre, Alvaro Cortes, Oscar Gistau and Juwensley Onstein.
New signing Hamza Abdelkarim is also part of Flick’s plans, although the Egyptian forward could be granted a few additional days of rest after representing his country at the World Cup.
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